Hog feeder



Dec. 12, 1950 I UHRENHQLDT 2,533,538

HOG FEEDER Filed June 29, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "mum Emanuel Uhrenha/dfIN VENTOR.

BY @w 5 gag,

I W M I Attorneys Dec; 12, 1950 E. UHRENHOLDT HOG FEEDER 2 Sh eets-Sheet2 Filed June 29, 1948 Fig.2.

Emanuel U/rrenho/df INVENTOR. BY

and

i. 1 3 V illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. By so constructing the device,a trough 40 is obtained, which will receive the feed supplied from thebin 22 and will not be scattered during the feeding process, as isusually the case with feeding devices employed today.

A pair of longitudinal shafts 42 extend longitudinally of the feeder andare secured to the side walls l4. The shafts 42 are substantiallystationary and the two illustrated are provided, one

being for each side of the tapered walls 34. A plurality of individualrollers 44, best illustrated in Figure 4, are mounted on shafts 42 forrotation thereon. In the present embodiment, a total of six such rollersare supplied, each roller being positioned within the chamber providedby wall 36 and sides 14. The rollers 44 have secured on the outerperiphery thereof teeth or button members 46, for a purpose presently tobe described. The teeth are provided in spiral arrangement, as may beseen from an examination of the figures. The rollers 44 are positioneddirectly beneath the lower extremity of tapered walls 34 and abovebottom l2 of the device. In this way, the rollers 44 operate as valves,or gate means whereby feed travelling from storage bin I6 is controlledby the operation of rollers 44.

Rods 48 extend longitudinally of the feeder l0 and one is provided foreach side thereof. Welded to rods 48 are a plurality of depending bars56 having lower ends terminating Slightly below walls 34 and are inconstant engagement with teeth 46 and rollers 44. i The bars 59 are offlat, spring steel construction and are especially adapted to vibratefreely. Longitudinal rods 52 extend through feeder 19 below rods 43 andin parallel relation thereto, and contact the inner faces of the bars56. The rods 52 thereby serve to limit the vibratory movement of bars 59when they are agitated by rollers 44. While a plurality of fixed barshave been provided for each side of the feeder, the number may be variedas is needed to efficiently provide a steady supply of feed totroughAfl.

. In the use of the device, the rods 52 are adapted,

by actuation of rollers 44 to automatically supply feed as the feed isconsumed. Roof 18 is pivoted into, open position, as was explainedabove, and bin 26 is filled. Roof l8 is then swung back into closedposition and the feeding device is entirely closed against inclementweather. When an 4 Having described the invention, what is claimed asnew is:

1. An automatic hog feeding device comprising a bin having a bottomwall, a pair of end walls secured to the bottom wall, a pair ofdownwardly and inwardly inclined side walls secured to said end wallsand having lower edges spaced above said bottom wall and a closuresupported by said end walls and said side walls, a pair of elongatedapron forming members carried by the bottom wall and curved toward theside walls, said apron forming members being spaced above the bottomwall and having longitudinally spaced transverse slots, a purality ofspaced parallel, substantially vertical spacer walls secured to theouter surfaces of said side walls and to the bottom wall to define aplurality of troughs, said spacer walls being received in said slots,said apron-forming members having openings therein providing entrancesto feed disposed on the bottom Wall, means located within the bin anddisposed between said side walls for agitating feed in the bin, andmeans mounted in said bin beneath said apron-forming members fordirecting feed in the bin toward the animal starts feeding, andparticularly hogs, he

will root under rollers '44 at a selected trough. His snout gets underteeth 46, after which upon removing his snout, the teeth are urgedupwardly and rollers 44 rotate. Feed is then enabled to travel intotrough 40 by this movement. At the same time steel bars '56 are actuatedand vibrated by teeth 46 upon which they engage thus preventing the feedfrom packing and storing in the bottom of bin 22. Apron forming members38prevent any feedfrom overrunning trough 40 and being scattered orwasted thereby.

I From the above description, these several objects have been obtained.Any suitable material may be employed in the construction of the device,while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that various changes in size, shapeand arrangement of parts might be made without departing from the spiritof the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

openings in said apron-forming members, said last-mentioned meansactuating said agitating means. 2. The combination of clai'ml whereinsaid means for directing feed in the bin toward the openings in saidapron-forming members includes a pair of longitudinally extending shaftscarried by the end walls and the spacer walls, said shafts being spacedbetween the lower edges of the side walls and the bottom wall, and aplurality of toothed members rotatably mounted on the shafts and spacedfrom each other by said spacer walls. 3. The combination of claim 1wherein said means for agitating feed in said bin includes a pluralityof rods terminally fixed to said end walls and disposed longitudinallyof said bin, a plurality of resilient arms carried by and depending fromsaid rods, said arms having lower end portions extending below the loweredges of said side walls, and further rods fixed to said end Walls, saidfurther rods being disposed intermediate the ends of said arms andcontacting the arms, said arms being mounted for vertical swingingmovement and said further rods limiting vertical swinging movement ofsaid arms in one direction, each of the troughs having at least one armassociated therewith.

' EMANUEL UI-IRENHOLDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent.

V UNITED STATES PATENTS

